Dancing toy.



No. 692,907. Patented Feb. II, I902 w. B. HEPPELL.

DANCING TOY.

(Application filed Mar. 1, 1901.)

(No Model.)

llll lill H] II I I I II WZneXes UNITED States Pair-ear @arrsa.

WlLLlAM R. REPPELL, or sr. LOUIS, MISSOURLASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO LOUISH. REPP L, or KsNsAsorrY,

MISSOURI.

foauc'mrov."

SPECIFICATION forming arser Letters Patent No. 692,907, dated February11,1902.

- Application 'filed March 1, 1901. Serial No. 49,388. 11% model.)

To all whom it may concern:.

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM R. a citizen of the United States, residingat St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and usefulDancing Toy, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to amusement devices, and more particularly todancing toys; and my object is to produce a device of .this characterwhich can be made to clog-dance in'harmony with any of the Y simple-andpopular-- airs of the day and in a most natural andlifev,

likemanner, a I 1 r With this object in view the invention consists incertain novel and-pecnliar'features of construction and combinations ofparts, as

hereinafter described and claimed, and in or-f (ler that it may be fullyunderstood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings; in whichi Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a dancing toy embodying myinvention-.- Fig; 2 represents a side View; partly in section,"of a.portion of the toy. Fig. 3 is a perspective viewshowing aslightly-modified form of construction.

In the said drawings, where like referencenumerals designatecorresponding parts, 1 designates a figure, preferably the representa'-tion of a human being and constructed of 'wood, sheet metal, or anyother suitable. ma-

terial, the figure comprising, preferably, a series of parts pivotedtogether, as at 2, so thateach of-said parts shall'have more" or lessindependent movement, all being arranged to operate preferably in thesame vertical plane. The hat or head portion of the toy is pivotallysuspended, as at 3, inthe same ora parallel plane with pivots 2 from thefront end of a ,support 4, the same preferably consisting of a rigid rodbent to ap-- proximately right-angle shape. The lower end of said rod orsupport extends through an opening 5 in the platform, said platformconsisting of a dancing-floor 6 and a rear portion 7, the'latter adaptedto be held rigidly, as by laying it flatly on a surfacesuch as a chair,

for instance-and throwing ones leg over itin order that thedancing-floor may be caused to vibrate in a manner hereinafter-explained'R PPELL,

in a vertical direction. the rod or support just below opening5 issecure] y wedged or fastened in a preferably rigid arm- 8, underlyingand secured to the rear portion 7 of the'platform.

In Fig. 3. a will be noticed that Ishow a pair of dancing figures, whichmay be connected to thecross-rod 9, attached to the front I end of rodor support 4 in the manner described, or which may be suspended fromsaid The lower end of cross-rod bymeans of retractile springs 1Q,- v

ward-and-backward movement, it being understood, of course, that thepivot 3 may also be sufficiently looseto permitthe figure ens-- which ofcourse will admit of considerable lateral movement of the figuresas'well as forpended therefrom to have a limited amount 7 of lateralmovement also.

J-Inoperation the rear'portionof the platfortnissetmredasbeforeexplained or in any other suitable'or preferred manner, and'thenthe operator by tapping upon the platform at support 4,c auses saidplatform to vibrate with more or less regularityand rapidity, whichvibrations by pushing upwardly against the feet-of Fig.1, which arearranged to barely touch. the platform when inoperative,-cause' saidfigure .to dance ina very life-like manner, the feet coming in contactwith the danc-.

ing-floor and produc'ing aisonnd exactly like that of a clog-dancer, andithas been found that with more or less practice one can compel thofigure to keep time with an instrument playing a simple piece of musicorwith the voice. The vibrations of the platform a suitableipoint,preferably adjacent to the may be induced also by picking with thethumbyupon' the front end-of the dancingfloor in imitation ofthe mannerin which a' banjo or guitar is played.

. In the alone vibrates, whilein previous. construetions either thefigure alone vibrated or else both the figure and thefloor vibrated.Moreover, the support'for'ithe figure is held in resent application theessential fea-. ture of j dxfleren'ce over what has hitherto beendone'in devices of this'character-consists in the fact that my supportbeneath the body,

ness, and while I have illustrated and described the preferredembodiment of the in vention it is to be understood that it is sus- Lceptible of modifications in various particulars without departing fromthe principle of construction herein shown.

Having thus described the invention, what- I claim as new, and desiretosecure by Letters Patent, is

In a dancing toy, the combination with a flexible floor adapted to beheld rigidly at its inner end under the body of the operator; of anunyielding arm secured rigidly at its inner end to the bottonfof thefloor near the support of the latter, a rigid support rising from theforward end of said arm and passing loosely througha hole in the floor,and a figure pivotally carried by said support with its feet restingupon said 'fioor.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 7 in thepresence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM R. REPPELL.

\Vitnesses:

J. R. Benson,

E. WEISSENBORN.

